Film straightening device



May 26, 1931.

G. CI BEIDLER FILX STRAIGHTENING DEVICE Fi1ed Au 9. 1927 j ATTORNEY.

Patented May 26, ,1931

GEORGE C. BEIDLER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK rim: srnaronrnmno 'nnvrcn Application filed August 9, 1927. Serial 110,211,792.

This invention relates to containers for photographic film that is wound on a spool, and the invention has for-an object. the pro; vision of novel means for removing or modlll, fying the curl of the film as it is being unwound and transferred to an exposing chamber of a camera. V

The usual hotographic paper film is, of

course, coate with an emulsion and, when .10 wound on a spool, the film curls as it is drawn from the roll. The film on the core or near the center of the roll has a more abrupt bend or curl than that near the peripheryof the roll, and it is an object of 15 this invention to remove or modify the curl,

asstated. 1

It is furthermore an object to exert a tension on the film, which tensiondncreases approximately proportional to the curling action of the film, as it is taken from the roll near the core. In other words, the film tensioning device progressively increases its tensioning action as the film. on the roll diminishes, and insures the delivery of the film to the exposing chamber in a relatively strai ht condition. r It is a still further object of this invention to produce a device which will act on film when wound on a spool with the emulsion on the inner face of the film, or in association with film in which the coating is onthe outer surface of the film.

It is furthermore an ob'ect of this inven- (through the employment of rollers 15' which tion to producea device 0 the character indicated which will operate automatically and position itself in operative relation to the roll of film..

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invent1on consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in erence will be had to th drawings forming part of detail, refe accompanying this application wherein like characters denote correspond ini pa-rts in the several views, and in which' igure 1 illustrates a vertical sectional view of a box with a tensiom'n device em- .bodying the invention applied t ereto;

with its periphery re erably above the line of the slot 7 in or er that the film in traveling from the box through the slot will ride v i over the roller 9. BracketslQ are securedto the inner surface of the box, and trunnions 11 of an oscillatable frame 12 partiallyro 'tate in the said brackets orlbearings.

A roller 13 is rotatably mounted with re- '70 lation to the'frame and it is intended to ride on the film 14 as it is unwound from th'e spool and moving toward the roller 9. The

length of the frame is such that the roller 13 flexes the film at locations between the roller 9' and the core of the s 001, and as the frame moves inwardly wit relation to the core, the friction between the film and the roller of the frame is increased and, hence, the flexing action and the efliciency so occasioned by the action is augmented as the on the spool diminishes. p 1 The frame 1s supportedon the wound film are rotatable on a shaft 16 ,of the frame and, so by this means, the frame will be causedto move from its full line position in Fig. 1 to the dotted line position thereof and it will continue to move inwardly toward the core of the spool as the film is unwound; As the curl of the paper increases toward the core,

the tension of the roller 13 will increase and this action will tend to remove the curl from thefilm.

A ratchet 17 is carried by the frame and v I the said ratchet is en aged by a dog 18 which will be effective to o er resistaince to the force of the film as it is being drawn from 1 the core or roll of film. 1 v

-. In Fig. 3, as has been stated, the invention 10o through which box over a guiding roller 22. The frame 23 1s applied to a box containing a spool on which the film has its sensitized surface wound on the inside and, in this embodiment of the invention, the box 19 has a slot 20 the film 21 emerges from the is oscillatably mounted in bearings 24, simllar to those heretofore described, and the frame is of substantially the same construction as the frame 12, except that it is positioned to oscillate on a plane at right an les to that in which the frame 12 oscillates. %he frame has a friction roller 25 and rollers 26 which engage the wound film. A dog 27 is pivotally mounted to operate in association with the ratchet 28, and a spring 29, bearing against the inner surface of the box and engaging the. dog, tends to force the frame 23 toward parts in operative positions.

I claim:

1. A box, a rotatively supported roll of film in the box, hearings in the box at one side of the axis of the roll, a frame having trunnions mounted in the bearings, a roller journaled in the frame between its ends adapted to ride on the surface of film on the roll, a roller at the end of the frame adapted to engage film unwound from the roll and operative to remove excessive curl from the film, and means for forcing the first mentioned roller into engagement with the film.

2. A box for rotatively supportin a roll of film, bearings in the box at one si e of the axis of the roll, a frame having trunnions mounted in the bearings, a roller journaled in the frame between its ends adapted to ride .on the surface of film on the roller,- a roller at the end of the frame adapted to engage film unwound from the roll and operative to remove excessive curl from the film, means for forcing the first mentioned roller into engagement with the film on the roll, a ratchet on the said frame, and a detent interposed between a part of the box and the said ratchet and engaging the ratchet for holding the frame against retro de movement.

GEOR E C. BEIDLER.

the core and maintains the 

